LABOUR will unveil an “education comeback plan” for Scotland today, following the disruption of in-school learning during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Anas Sarwar will deliver his first major speech as Scottish Labour leader, launching the party’s campaign for May’s Holyrood elections with a plan to “deliver hope for our young people.”

The proposals, announced on the day when further pupils return to classrooms, include a “personal comeback plan” for every pupil in Scotland, based on a needs-based assessment, and a tutoring programme for all pupils of all ages.

The Scottish Labour leader will also call for any pupil from the cohort affected by Covid-19 to be guaranteed a free place at college to take national qualifications if they fail to achieve the required grades the first time around.

Plans for a “summer comeback” programme to ensure that children can enjoy themselves in the coming months, with resources for youth organisations, school trips and free access to sport, transport, outdoor activities and culture, will also be announced. 

Mr Sarwar said: “As tens of thousands of children finally return to school, I pay tribute to everyone who has been homeschooling these past few months and the teachers who have continued to support their pupils.

“A generation of young people have had their learning disrupted by Covid, which is why we are publishing an education comeback plan for Scotland’s children.

“At the heart of the plan is the recognition that we have a moral imperative to ensure that our next generation do not carry the weight of the pandemic.

“It is a plan that delivers hope for our young people, restores Scottish education, supports teachers and makes sure that every child has the right to a decent start in life.”

Scottish Labour’s plans for recovery in education will also include calls for greater support for the teaching workforce, with a guaranteed completion opportunity for probationary teachers and enhanced digital training for staff.

The party’s education spokesperson, Dundee councillor Michael Marra, warned that coronavirus could have a “significant” impact on results, the poverty-related attainment gap and the development of children across Scotland. 

He said: “Never before have young people had to endure such disruption to their learning and their social development. Our response must be of a scale that matches the challenge.

“We must support them with all the ideas, energy, but most importantly, resources that we have.”